Home Uncategorized Richmond County averaging 13 new COVID cases per day; statewide trends slowing

Richmond County averaging 13 new COVID cases per day; statewide trends slowing

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ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County residents continue to test positive for COVID-19 at an average of 90 per week.

The Richmond County Health Department on Wednesday reported the overall total of positive cases is now 13,447.

That’s an increase of 272 since June 1 and averages out to about 13 new cases per day.

There was one additional COVID-related death reported between June 1 and 15, bringing the county’s total to 194.

Online records from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services COVID Dashboard show trends in the number of cases and hospital visits related to the coronavirus are starting to trend downward again, following a slight rise at the end of May and earlier this month.

The week ending June 4, the rate of emergency room visits with COVID-like symptoms was at 6%. That has now dropped to 4%. Throughout March and April, that rate had dropped to as low as 2%, after peaking at 26% in mid-January.

The most common COVID strain in the state is the Omicron BA.2 variant, which was first reported toward the end of January and early February, according to NCDHHS. It was the dominant variant from late March to mid-May before being overtaken by the BA.2.12.1 variant, which has shown up 53% of sequenced cases from May 29-June 11.

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A little more than 40% of North Carolina’s counties — including Richmond, Stanly, Scotland, Hoke and Robeson are considered to have a community risk level at medium, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other surrounding counties — Anson, Montgomery, Moore — are among those that have a low community risk level. Most of the counties in Eastern North Carolina, those north of Raleigh near the Virginia border and along the Foothills are at high risk.

Richmond County’s vaccination rate has remained stagnant at 48% since March 2, the Health Department reports. State records show 10,258 people (23%) have received at least one booster or additional dose.

Starting June 20, the CDC now recommends vaccines for children as young as 6 months old, but at a lower dosage than that for those aged 5-11. Boosters are not recommended.

According to NCDHHS, 57% of the state’s population is boosted, 77% of adults have received at least one dose and 38% of children 5-17 have had at least one dose.



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